Planets in signs and houses Vedic astrology and Livelihood-Indu Guha

VARAHA Mihira in Brihat Jataka, says that the horoscope is an indicator of our past good and bad deeds at our credit and as to how we are going to work out the interplay thereof. The seers of astrology who composed treatises on the science thousands of years ago when life was free from fashionable fever of hectic nights and haggard days, had not evidently thought of medley of jobs in the modern civilized world. Excessive materialistic activity of scientific ingenuity and advanced technology and a hundred and odd economic social and political superstructures of life have exposed myriad openings for employment. Complexity of professions is assuming a more and more bewildering nature. To indicate exact means of livelihood, through a horoscope depends upon blending of the influences of planets, signs and houses and there too it would be very difficult to predict with exactitude. We may say, a man would be an engineer, but whether a civil, mechanical, electrical, mining or textile engineer will depend upon the planet who has the greatest influence in livelihood. Another question that poses itself is whether a person would have the same source of livelihood throughout his life. Many persons start their career in service and later do well in their own business. Further, in finding means of livelihood, can we make a distinction between salary and pension? Many retired servants enter business but most of them either enter private service or live on pension and savings or rent on buildings they own or have built. It is very difficult to analyse all factors carefully and predict the tendencies
governing one's livelihood. Like any other science, astrology too has its own limitations. We have to realise it and it is the duty of those deeply interested in the science to increase its utility to society by earnest research and selfless efforts. Let us study and analyse the principles of deduction of the means of livelihood of a native from his horoscope as enunciated by great Acharyas of yore. In the mater of astrologically judging and determining different mundane houses are allotted to the different needs of Kalapurusha or the individual. There is one house, Karma viz. the 10th (mid-heaven). Karma is very broad term. Karma means the sum total of the good and bad deeds at our credit when we are born on this planet. Livelihood or avocation is only one facet of the term Karma. Karma is not merely avocation but is a comprehensive term. The twelve houses indicate different activities in the world. A profession or means of earning a livelihood may be determined by the houses and planets which are prominent in a horoscope. If the 1st is strong the native will earn by his personal efforts. If the 2nd is strong, articles of food or speech would play a prominent part. The 3rd determines courage, brothers, heroic valour, communication, writing, short travel, etc. If the 3rd is strong and has connection with the 10th, the person may earn through writing and short travels. He may run a big business, may serve in army. If the 10th lord is connected with the 4th house and indications are strong, the person may get income from house or motor vehicles. The 5th has reference to learning, counsel, speculation and games of chance. The harmonious dispositions of the 10th and the 5th indicate earning through above means. The 6th represents sickness or diseases. If the 6th house is connected to the 10th and the horoscope indicates medical studies the person may be a doctor by profession The 7th indicates partner, husband or wife, travel, etc. If the 7th and the 10th are harmoniously disposed – blending their effects together – the person may be benefited from a partnership. The 8th indicates legacy, imports, exports, etc. When the 8th and 10th lords are connected, the person may earn through foreign business or from property or insurance. The 9th indications would be connected with the foreigners, foreign lands, law, religion etc. The connection between the 9th and the 10th may bring earnings through practice of law or the person may become religious head or may earn through teaching or preaching. The 10th house is the house of profession and the nature of profession is indicated by the 10th lord and by the nature of planet or planets occupying or aspecting it. The 11th is the house of gain or income and planets occupying or aspecting the house would bring money according as the planets occupying or aspecting it. The 12th is connected with places of confinement and distant lands. If Saturnine qualities predominate the 10th and of the 12th is connected thereto, the person may be a jailor. When the planets connected with giving income to person i.e. deciding his livelihood occupy the houses (from the 1st to the 12th bhava) the results get modified according to the actual house occupation. The callings of men are as various, as interesting and as diversified, as the individual peculiarities they exhibit. Take the Lagna or the Moon at birth and see who occupies the 10th house from it. If the Sun is in the 10th house the person inherits paternal property from the father; if the Moon is there, he inherits money from the mother; if Mars occupies it, he procures wealth through his enemy; if Mercury joins the 10th he gets money through friends; if Jupiter is found there, the person has wealth through brothers; if Venus is in the 10th, the money comes through wife or women; and if Saturn occupies it, he gets wealth from inferiors, such as servants etc.
Planets in mid-heaven or aspiring to be mid-heaven are be treated accordingly. Secondly, when there is no planet in the 10th from the Moon or the birth sign, then find out the rulers of the 10th house counted from the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon. Take the strongest of them. Find out in what Navamsa he is. The ruler of that Navamsa will influence the profession. According to Bhattotpala, it is not correct to predict the profession by considering the strongest among the planets (1) posited in the 10th house reckoned from the Lagna and the Moon or (2) owning the 10th house counted from the Lagna, the Sun and the Moon. Every one of these should be taken into consideration while determining the source of income of the native, as a man gets money from various ways both at one time as well as at different periods in his life. The view taken by Bhattotpala and his quotations from Gargi seem to be the best. For instance, a man may be lawyer and may have lands yielding crops, may carry on ready money transactions, may be a paid trustee or manager in some charitable institution or temple and may hold shares in banks and be at the same time a Government pleader paid so much per month. His father and mother may give him money, his wife may bring down dowry and his brothers and friends may also help him. The profession or occupation of a native is generally judged from the planet or planets occupying the 10th house and if there should be none there, from those in the 1st and also from those aspecting the Sun and the Moon. Further, the planet which is posited very near the Sun or the 10th Bhava whether before or after in the radix of a native and its condition—whether strong or weak, due to its position and aspect exert much influence in this respect. Brihat Jataka, Adh.X Sl.4 states the gain of money for livelihood should be ascertained from the strong benefic planets occupying the Ascendant, the 2nd and the 10th. The Ascendant is to be studied as the earnings accrue through prowess and efforts of the native. The 2nd being the seat of the wealth and the 11th being the 2nd to the 10th too are to be scrutinised. The 10th indicates the nature of profession and the 2nd shows the kind of earnings which the 11th confers. Means of livelihood means gain of money. Therefore study of the 2nd, the 4th, the 9th and the 11th become highly necessary. The Ascendant, the 5th and the 7th too are to be examined in addition to the 10th. These bhavas also point out ways through which the native comes by the wealth. It will be helpful to remember that in fixing the means of livelihood ancient Acharyas have not made the 10th bhava the sole source of information. Parasara says, success in endeavours and gain of money (wealth) depends entirely on luck. A careful study of the 9th from the Ascendant and the Moon and of their lords in respect of gain of money will throw a flood of light on the profession. Looking from another angle, the 10th house is 9th from the 2nd; the 6th from the 5th and son. Such relationships deserve careful consideration. The 2nd is the house of inborn potential energy—speech and sight are symbolic expressions of the same. Inherited wealth indicates the result of past deeds which have to be enjoyed in a particular birth. This house is the 5th from the 10th signifying that prarabdha of a man is the result of one's karma's activity in this phenomenal world. But as the 10th is the 9th from the 2nd it is suggestive of the fact that the man's status in life depends both on one's past deeds as well as on the potential energy bestowed in a certain incarnation. Similarly, it has to be remembered that the 10th being the house of creation, action and the 5th that of creativity, the potential for action, the 6th-8th relationship between the
two is meaningful. One cannot smoothly act unless the conditions necessary for the same are present. The 10th is an impediment for the 5th because it is located 6th from it; obviously the urge cannot have an easy go if the 10th house is not strong enough to meet the challenge of the 5th. Mr S Kannan says, in the matter of determining profession, the Ascendant showing the aptitude of the native, the 10th showing the actual type of work done (Karma) and the 8th house revealing the career which will be taken up by the native. In other words, these three houses are inter-dependent in finding out the exact type of avocation one is likely to have. This does not mean that the 10th house is to be ignored altogether. Besides these houses, the 2nd and the 11th showing sources of income also give a clue and they too have to be studied. The 8th house is the 11th from the 10th indicating the source of income for the 10th. Again the 8th indicates legacy (a source of income and livelihood). The 8th house and the lord of the 8th house and planets in or aspecting it give the clue to what profession the native will take up. Uttarakalamrita attributes livelihood as one of the factors governed by the 1st house. This is understandable as the 1st house denotes the natural and personal traits. The nature of profession, a person follows is determined by the nature of the planets influencing the lagna factor, i.e. the lagna and chandra-lagna and their lords. Saravali says: "When the Sun is located in any sign of Venus (Taurus or Libra) and is aspected by the Moon the man is fond of prostitutes. He supports many women and lives by watery vocation". (Note: It would be observed that there is not the remotest reference to the 10th house in the Sloka and yet it is very clearly stated the profession is one of by watery vocation— salilajeevi). Jataka Parijata says: "The house in which the lords of the Lagna and the 2nd house are located indicate the source of one's livelihood". Brihat Parasara Hora deals with the livelihood result of various planets in Karakamsa. Since Karakamsa is in the nature of Lagna, it is clear that Lagna is relevant to the question of determining profession. Kendras are the pillars of the horoscope. Kendras reveal what are within and they get expression and manifestation through konas. The 10th Kendra has two konas, viz., the 2nd and the 6th. Planets occupying the 2nd and the 6th will express the 10th. So the planets in the 2nd and the 6th give the clue what will be the avocation of the native. If there is no planet in the 2nd and the 6th then the lords of the two houses will mould the avocation. Thus we see all the twelve houses of the zodiac have some contribution in moulding the avocation. Mid-heaven (i.e. the 10th house) manifests, not the characteristics of one sign alone but also the modifying characteristics of the other eleven signs all tending to make the 10th what it is. There is no separation in the unity of zodiac. It is an endless circle which cannot be broken. To decide the nature of profession and livelihood, the key qualities of the planet or planets influencing the 10th will help us to arrive at a facile judgment. Besides other significations the Sun is a creator, promoter, owner, manager and physician. He also rules government, brokerage or commission. When the planet that proves to be the deciding factor as regards a person's livelihood, happens to be the Sun, the person may get rulership of a country, land, province, district, etc., royal positions and dignities, service under the Government, administrator, a minister of law and order, enforcement of commands. He may be engaged in medicine, doing mediatory work or highly authoritative jobs in Forest Department, Municipal Corporation, etc. The Moon is planet of fecundity and rules liquids, mind, mental work, unsteadiness,
movements, changes, salt, seas, etc. If the Moon is deciding the profession, then the person will have something to do with the following factors: Shell, pearls, salt, agriculture, ships, fish, hospitals, service to women (women welfare), holy shrines, maternal property, etc. He may be a sailor, mariner, navigator, fisherman, boatman, dealer in pearls or one working in pearl-fisher, midwife, nurse, etc. Mars is a planet of action and rules profession involving rudeness or cruelty, engineering works, fire, lands and daring operations. Callings involving instruments, armaments and tools used in police, military and medical departments. The persons will be connected with military preparations, doctor (surgeon), chemist, butchery metallurgy —generally all works in iron, steel or fire. Mercury is a planet of reasoning or education. Governs merchandise, and professionals like clerks, accountants, auditors, copyists, teachers, authors, translators, postmen, messengers, astronomers, mathematicians, publishers, printers etc. are due to the influence of Mercury. Jupiter is a planet of expansion. All professions which are dignified and which require a good judgment, can be attributed to him. He governs principally banks, treasuries, income-tax or revenue department, charitable or educational institutions, lawyers, editors, teachers, councilors, judges, priests, senators, bishops, ministers. Venus is a planet of pleasure. Venus governs dramatists, artists, wealth and perfumers, weavers, car-dealers, jewelers etc. Venus governs wealth and hence income- tax, wealth tax and other revenue are all governed by him, provided there is a connection with Saturn,Rahu or Ketu to indicate dealers in gold, precious stones, elephant or horses, cows, hotel-keepers, confectioners, linen drapers, scent dealers, players, maid servants, etc. Saturn is a planet of obstruction. He also governs service, misery, oil etc. The person will be engaged in a job connected with engravings on wood, stone work execution, porterage, scavengers, shoe-making, garden work, brick-masons, digging pits, oil, etc. It has been observed that he influences service under government especially or under foreign influence. He also governs jobs connected with punishment. Saturn gives one leadership in labour organisations, trade unions, service under various capacities, expert in work and extracting work from others. Rahu is a planet of eccentricity. The erratic or cruel deeds are attributed to him. But if he is well disposed occupying the houses of benefics, especially Mercury, the produces good researchers, scholars, lawyers, speculators, etc. Ketu governs secret service, cunning or tricky jobs etc. A more accurate picture of the particular avocation can be obtained by an examination of the nature of the sign in which the 10th falls. That will show the line of greatest success and natural aptitude. The fiery signs—Aries, Leo and Sagittarius—indicate employment connected with fire, iron and metals, metallurgy, extraction of ores, utilizing electric energy, industrial concerns, surgeons, military equipments etc. The earthy signs—Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn—show manual labour, digging and excavation, agricultural pursuit, food and corn dealers, dealers in the produce of the soil in various forms and kinds. The airy signs—Gemini, Libra and Aquarius show intellectual pursuits, head-work,
literary and artistic occupations. The watery signs—Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces—show occupations in which water is the motive power or chief element, dealers in soft drink, textile goods and fabrics, sailors, chemists, etc. We have four significators (Karakas) for Karmabhava: Jupiter, the Sun, Mercury and Saturn as prescribed by our ancient Acharyas. The intellectual class represented by Jupiter, the ruling class represented by the Sun, the mercantile class represented by mercury and the serving class represented by Saturn. The key qualities described above will be helpful to find whether an individual will be able to fulfill a specific assignment. Unless the particular indicator (Karaka) is strong and not rendered weak, he will not be able to do so. For example, if the 10th house has no connection with Jupiter and as also lord or if Jupiter is not strong and well placed, religious nature, etc. will be totally absent. If the Sun is weak or debilitated (without neechabhanga) one cannot have high dignity and royal position. When Mercury is weak or he has got no connection with the 10th, one cannot have business acumen and diplomatic reasoning. When Saturn is weak and unconnected with the 10th, one cannot be expert in work. A methodical scrutiny of the 10th bhava, bhava lord and karaka planet will reveal the realistic result of Karma bhava. When the 10th lord is well placed in kendra, kona, the 2nd or the 11th from Lagna as well as from Karma bhava and karaka planets are similarly placed and well dignified, the native will be established in professional career. The sign in which the 10th lord is posited is Jeeva sign and its lord is Jeeva for Karma bhava. The sign in which the 7th lord is posited is Sareera sign and its lord is Sareera for Karma bhava. If Jeeva and Sareera are found strong and both are benefics and friends and Jeeva and Sareera signs also happen to be kendra, kona, the 2nd or the 11th from Lagna, Karma bhava will flourish. Paraasara Hora stipulates that Dasamsa chart is to be examined for judging about a person's livelihood. The nature of a native's profession may be indicated with some accuracy by Ashtakavarga of Saturn, the dots of different planets falling in the 10th counted from Saturn's signs are to be noted. Dots contributed by other planets in the 10th from Saturn give a clue to the native's job. If there are more dots contributed by two or more planets, the nature of job (or jobs) may partake the characteristics of the significators.